Elisa Chan's taped remarks spark a wide reaction

By Josh Baugh |
August 16, 2013
| Updated: August 18, 2013 12:29pm

David Ewell speaks about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments on homosexuality during the Community Alliance for a United San Antonio event at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013. Ewell and his partner of 30 years adopted a six-month-old boy from Cambodia who is now 12-years-old.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Andrea Moutria, left/center, and Alberto Barragan, right/center, get into place with signs for members of the Community Alliance for a United San Antonio to speak about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments about homosexuality at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Daniel Graney, co-chair of Community Alliance for a United San Antonio, speaks about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments about homosexuality at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Daniel Graney, co-chair of Community Alliance for a United San Antonio, speaks about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments about homosexuality at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz / San Antonio Express-News

David Ewell, a gay parent who has an adopted son, speaks about Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments at a City Hall rally.

Local leaders moved quickly Friday to distance themselves from homophobic comments made by Councilwoman Elisa Chan, while local and national LGBT advocacy groups and politicians called for her immediate resignation.

Mayor Julián Castro said Chan's comments — secretly recorded in May and released this week amid ongoing debates about updating the city's nondiscrimination ordinance to protect sexual orientation and gender identity — illuminate a “level of bias and ignorance that's astonishing.”

“My initial reaction was that I was shocked by what I was hearing. My second reaction was that it gives the wrong impression of San Antonio when people outside our city hear it,” he said. “It was also astounding how misinformed and downright ignorant a lot of that conversation was.”

The embattled District 9 councilwoman was secretly recorded May 21 during a staff meeting by then-aide James Stevens, 28. He since has resigned.

Stevens provided San Antonio Express-News columnist Brian Chasnoff this week with a copy of the recording, which was posted on the newspaper's websites.

In it, Chan is heard saying she thinks homosexuality is “disgusting” and that same-sex couples shouldn't be allowed to adopt children, among other similar comments.

Of metro areas with populations more than 1 million, San Antonio, Memphis and Detroit all have 22 percent of same-sex couples raising children, according to a report released in May by the University of California's Williams Institute.

The percentage is higher only in Salt Lake City and Virginia Beach, Va., the study shows.

A former District 9 councilman, Republican Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff said his initial reaction to Chan's remarks was that it's “time (for her) to find another career.”

“We all have our individual beliefs and thoughts, and that's our right, but when we're in public office, we've got to defend the rights of everyone, whether we agree with them or not. That just wasn't cool,” he said.

Castro listened to the audio posted by the Express-News, which was nearly the entire version provided by Stevens.

The newspaper removed about one minute of audio when Chan and her staffers identified an individual by name and discussed detailed information about the private life of the person, who isn't associated with the council office and wasn't present at the meeting.

“Some folks have wondered whether an update to the ordinance is necessary,” Castro said. “This is a strong example of why it is necessary. Unfortunately, this type of attitude is out there, and sometimes it's acted upon, and protections need to be in place when it is acted upon.”

Chan has an ally in the Justice Foundation, a local law firm whose president has said the councilwoman's comments “are natural reactions and legitimate points of view.” And she's received support in mostly anonymous reader comments on mySA.com, the newspaper's free website.

Some Christian groups have protested at City Hall and shared sentiments similar to Chan's.

“We see this as an infringement on our freedom of speech, our freedom of religion,” said Richard Morales, who attended a prayer service Wednesday outside City Hall. “And to impose penalties, where is the equality there?"

Local leaders were flabbergasted by the remarks.

Concerned with the comments, Councilman Rey Saldaña said what he heard on the recording was “misguided” and “deeply disappointing.”

“To point to a group and label them as 'other,' that's the root of discrimination,” he said. “I don't see it any other way than that.”

Councilman Diego Bernal, a civil rights attorney who spearheaded the nondiscrimination effort, said the audio was “incredibly hard to listen to,” in part because “we're talking about people in my family, people that I grew up with, people that work for me.”

Stevens said in an interview that after he recorded the conversation, he didn't know quite what to do with it.

“I talked to some people who work for the city and I was really scared, initially. I had all this stuff, and I didn't know what the reaction would be, what would happen to me,” he said. “As the ordinance got closer and closer, I realized it's not about me. I'll land on my feet. I'll be fine. And the impact I could have on other people's lives would be much greater and far outweighs the consequences.”

“I was taken aback by the candor and hurtfulness of the comments on the tape,” he said. “I think everyone listening to or talking on that tape or listening to that tape needs to do some soul-searching about living and working in harmony with their neighbors.”

He said he and his deceased partner lived in District 9 for 16 years and had met with Chan during her 2009 campaign.

“She committed to us at that time that she would support amending our city's employment nondiscrimination ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender identity,” he said. “She sought me out two times after that to let me know that she was still committed to this goal. Now, I know that this was mere lip service and did not come from the heart.”

In a news release, the Texas Democratic Party referred to Chan's conversation as a “homophobic rant” and Executive Director Will Hailer called on Chan to apologize and resign. The Washington-based Human Rights Campaign also called for Chan to step down.

“Anyone who would say those kinds of hurtful things in private but not in public does not deserve the public's trust,” HRC spokesman Michael Cole-Schwartz said. “Councilwoman Elisa Chan was elected to represent all San Antonians, yet it's clear she has no interest in even tolerating, much less supporting her LGBT constituents.”

If Chan doesn't step down, District 9 residents could move to recall her — an action that requires voters to sign a petition calling for a recall election.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said he was twice “disturbed” by the revelation — by Chan's comments and by learning that her staffer surreptitiously recorded her.

Texas is what's known as a “one-party” state, which means that it's legal for a person to record a conversation if he or she is a part of it. The law applies to phone conversations and face-to-face meetings, First Assistant District Attorney Cliff Herberg said.

Council members Rebecca Viagran, Ray Lopez and Cris Medina each said they were surprised by Chan's comments and don't condone discrimination.

Ivy Taylor was out of town and could not be reached for comment. Carlton Soules, Chan's chief council ally, did not return a call seeking comment.

Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales, an advocate of the ordinance, said Chan's comments were “hurtful.”

Some leaders expressed concerns about Chan's attempt to mislead voters and attempt to muddy the conversation by confusing the public.